Hugh Freeze updates Brian Battie recovery after in-person visit: 'He's got a great spirit about him'

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was late to his schedule 10-minute slot on the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday, but he had a good excuse: He was getting back to the football facility after flying back from Florida, where he’d spent the morning with Tigers running back Brian Battie.

Battie, who was shot in the spring and spent weeks recovering in the ICU before eventually seeing his condition improve, is still on a long way to recovering fully. But as Freeze described things on Wednesday, he’s hopeful for Battie and his ability to overcome the myriad obstacles — mental, physical or emotional — that still need to be conquered.

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“He’s in a battle, but obviously the battle now is just the recovery part and the rehab part and his brain starting to work back properly that controls him,” Freeze said on the coaches teleconference. “Walking is still now a challenge for him. But he’s in a great — he’s got a great spirit about him. Wants to get up to Auburn to a game and it was really good to spend some time with him.”

Wednesday was also the first time Freeze was able to visit Battie in person, he said. Two prior scheduled trips were nixed due to weather, so interactions were limited to FaceTime calls and whatever else could be done via phone or computer.

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Even still, Freeze makes a point to stay in touch with Battie and his family.

“We FaceTime at least once a week, typically. Or at least me with his mom, if not him, if he’s not up to it,” Freeze said. “And today was my first time in person. We had two others scheduled and both times the weather wouldn’t let us fly and today was our first time and I got to spend the entire morning with him up until his therapy began and with his mom and father and his sister.”

Battie only recently was able to leave the hospital, news that his family shared via Facebook.

“Today was a special day that we will never forget,” Adrienne Battie wrote on Aug. 24. “With hearts full of gratitude and praise, we watched Brian walk out of the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. Words can’t express the joy and thankfulness we feel right now.

“We have witnessed a miracle, and we know it’s because of God’s grace, mercy and the power of prayer. We have spent every day praying for God’s healing and we claimed it knowing Brian would walk out of the hospital and today he DID!”